President William Ruto’s economic advisor, David Ndii, has defended the latest revelations that Kenya has spent Ksh1.5 trillion on fuel imports from three Gulf countries through the Government-to-Government (G-to-G) fuel deal over the past 18 months.

The G-to-G deal, initially designed to ease forex pressure and stabilise fuel imports, has now cost the country Ksh1.5 trillion. The staggering amount elicited a heated debate among Kenyans, prompting Ndii to respond and defend it. 

Critiques argue that the deal is proving to benefit the Gulf oil firms more than Kenyan consumers, with fuel prices remaining high despite promises of relief.

According to Ndii, the amount spent so far tallies with what Kenya consumes monthly in petroleum products, showing that the amount earned by the three Gulf companies coincides with the country's consumption, making the total expenditure unsurprising.

''Three Gulf oil firms sold Kenya Ksh1.5 trillion. This clickbait simply tells you that we consume Ksh800 billion worth of petroleum products a month,'' Ndii said.

The Ruto advisor was responding to the concerns on the amount that has been used so far and why the deal had been extended for a further two years until 2028 despite the cost it has on Kenya's economy. 

Upon calculating Kenyans.co.ke found that Ksh1.5 trillion divided by 18 months results in Ksh83.3 billion per month. While it is still unclear whether Ndii's calculations were erroneous, his statement was still aimed at defending the G-to-G deal.

The G-to-G Kenya fuel deal was meant to reduce the dollar demand by allowing Kenya to import fuel on a credit basis rather than purchasing it on the open market.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, the three Gulf Oil Companies, which are Saudi Aramco, National Oil Co and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, will continue to supply gasoline, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel under a 180-day credit plan until early 2028.

The extension marks a change of heart for Kenya, which had in November told the International Monetary Fund that it would exit from the deal following concern over inconsistencies and contradictions of fuel volumes, forex market distortions, and economic risks. 

This followed a warning from the IMF, which had pointed out that Kenya might be forced to compensate the Gulf firms for failing to agree to meet the agreed fuel import volumes.

The Ministry defended the extension, arguing that the deal has helped to stabilise the shilling and reduce the fuel prices from Ksh217 to the current Ksh174.63, Ksh164.86, and Ksh148.99 for super petrol, diesel, and kerosene, respectively.

While the government argues that the extension will maintain economic stability, critics argue that it could worsen the country's debt burden and limit future fuel import flexibility. by Christine Opanda, Kenyans.co.ke

Security officers from the anti-terror police unit killed two terrorists during an ambush in Mandera on Monday. According to the Counter Terrorism Policing, officers from the elite Special Operations Group (SOG), acting on intelligence, launched an operation in the wee hours of the night in Mandera and ambushed the terrorists as they were planning to launch an attack. 

The militants from the Al Shabaab terror group were reportedly planning to terrorise Kenyans using the Alungu-Elwak road, Mandera County.

Further, the police report revealed that the insurgents were in the final stages of planting explosives on the main road, in a bid to target civilian vehicles.

During the incident, a fierce firefight ensued, during which two militants were felled as others sustained serious injuries before fleeing into nearby thickets with officers in hot pursuit.

''Acting on credible intelligence, the elite Special Operations Group launched a pre-dawn operation on Al Shabaab militants who were planning to terrorise Kenyans using the Alungu-Elwak road, Mandera County. 

The terrorists were also in the final stages of placing explosives on the main road, targeting civilian vehicles,'' a police report confirmed.

"The terrorists were caught in the act of setting up the IED. A fierce firefight ensued, during which two militants were neutralised and others sustained serious injuries."

The elite unit managed to recover two AK-47 rifles, a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) warhead, and a fully assembled IED.

Preliminary assessments indicated that the operation managed to avert a potential large-scale attack on civilian traffic in the area.  

Meanwhile, authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Kenya's security forces through intensified operations and sustained efforts in the fight against terrorism.

In a related development, on the morning of May 8, the elite SOG neutralised an Al-Shabaab terrorist in Garissa while responding to the reports by locals of militants attempting to plant improved explosive devices (IEDs) along the Dadaab-Hagadera road, targeting civilians and security vehicles. 

During the exchange of fire, one militant was killed, and three others were injured. Security officers also managed to arrest one of the suspects.

The authorities recovered several weapons from the scene, including a PKM machine gun, an AK-47, a pistol, a comms radio, and an IED remote. By Frankline Oduor, Kenyans.co.ke